- Received his elementary education from his father, who was later assisted by a local teacher.
- At age 14 he entered the gymnasium at Hannover, and two years later transferred to the gymnasium at Lüneburg, where his remarkable mathematical talent was noticed.
- He attended high school at the Johanneum Lüneburg.
- Received his elementary education from his father, who was later assisted by a local teacher.
- He studied at the universities of Göttingen and Berlin and was professor at Göttingen from 1859.